Welcome to my little writer's corner, what do you seek today?
My name is SkellyAce, but feel free to refer to me as either Skelly or Skel. I'm an autistic writer and artist. You might know me through my fics, or through my Twitch where I'm a bit of a disaster. My main blog is @cheesebreadgremlin, in case y'all get confused if that username pops up in your asks that's because I can't change it to this blog.
If anyone here enjoys these enough that you actually want to give me money, here is my ko-fi. Just make sure to only donate as much as you are either willing or capable of donating.
Fic requests are closed, regular asks and OC asks are open.
Patchouli's Revenge chapter masterlist
Mercenary!Reader Transformers Masterlist
Transformers Fic Masterlist (WIP)
Twisted Wonderland Masterlist
Information about requests and asks below the cut!
The following apply to requests and asks, and not of fics/works I write out of my free will. I will do headcanons and short stories.
Asterisks (*) mean some exceptions apply.
I write for the following fandoms as requests:
Transformers MTMTE Comic (currently on Vol 35)
Twisted Wonderland (Finished Book 1, finally)
I will also do requests for my original/fan characters!
OC Asks
Link to the rules for character asks here!
This is mostly for if anyone has questions about my original characters or my reader inserts such as Ailith and Lorelei! I might draw some little doodles of them to accompany the asks as well.
I'm willing to write these topics:
Menstruation (Especially with Endometriosis, as I likely have it)
OC Asks (OCs that have character profiles, or my reader MCs for my fics such as Mercenary!Reader/Ailith MacArthur)
Disabilities* (I have multiple disabilities, but I am not an expert on all. If I feel like I won't be able write the disability you ask for well enough, I'll have to decline the request)
I will not write these topics for requests
Someone else's MC character/fan character* (Unless it's your character and you give me some info about their personality and stuff... or it's a commission)
Pregnancy and parenting* (for now. It would be a good excuse to use the knowledge my Lactation Consultant mom gives me randomly tho)
Yandere
Character/Reader Death
Graphic Violence/Guro
Abusive Relationships
Rape, Dubcon, and other forms of abuse
Age regression (I don't know enough about the topic to do it justice)
Regarding NSFW
On this blog, I will not write NSFW (even though I am legally an adult). However, that is because I have all my NSFW works on a different blog. This is mostly so that there's a clear separation between my works that are appropriate for minors to read and those that are not. I won't share the name of the blog so that any minors following me don't try to seek it out on purpose. That, and I just don't really write stuff on that level of explicitness all that often.
If you're unsure if I'm willing to do a certain topic not listed here, please message me or send an ask. I don't bite :3
General Rules
For any anons, please end your ask/request with an emoji or whatever nickname you wish to be referred as. It's so I can keep track of which anons asked certain questions, especially if Tumblr eats an ask.
Being rude to me, about my stories, or any anons will lead to me blocking you. I don't mind constructive criticism, it helps with improving my storytelling. However, if you're being negative without reason, blocking will occur. This includes spamming the same question/request multiple times.
IF YOU THINK THAT TUMBLR ATE YOUR ASK, either direct message me if it's not anonymous, or send another ask explaining the contents of the ask you suspect was eaten. To prevent your ask being completely lost, please write it down somewhere so you can easily send the ask again.
Being ableist or any kind of bigot, even if it isn't directly towards me or even on this platform, will also lead to you being blocked. This relates to Rule 2. I refuse to tolerate someone who views me being a disabled person as someone who does not deserve agency or the freedom to be an individual.
Depending on what I'm doing that day, it will take me a lot of time to get to your ask. Whether it's because I'm streaming on Twitch, doing assignments, or at an appointment, I can't dedicate an entire day to answering a bunch of asks. Sometimes, I'll answer an ask quickly. Other times, it will take a few days. Please be understanding.
DO NOT REVEAL ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF, OR ASK ME TO REVEAL MY OWN. One of the biggest rules of internet safety is to not advertise your personal info openly, so don't mention what school you go to or where you live. Those who are dedicated enough will use those scraps of information to find you, and potentially cause you harm.
If you're a fellow writer and want to ask me about a subject I write about in my fics (or even about Vtubing if that's something you wanna know about for your fics), I'm more than willing to give you plenty of information, possibly more than you actually need.
Tag guide!
[#skels original works] is for any and all works disconnected from any fandom. Stories such as Patchouli's Revenge apply here.
skel writes ___ is for a specific series, usually an original one such as Harvest's Spell or Patchouli's Revenge.
The author's ramblings is for anything I post that isn't related to my works. Like cat pics.
skelly answers questions is for any asks I answer. These are not related to requests, which will be a different tag.
@creekfiend was very kind in sharing some writing resources with me, and I thought I'd pass along the kindness by listing them down below.
N.K. Jemisin's article 'Describing characters of color in writing'
Mary Anne Mohanraj's article on approaching characters of colour
Renee Harleston's article How to 'Write Characters of Color Without Using Stereotypes'
Working with Colour, a resource site for writers
the book Writing the Other by by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward, which had a description that cut deep, because I've definitely fallen into this trap out of fear:
and then a video recommended by @sheprd (thank you!) about pitfalls in descriptive language
if anyone else has more resources to add, feel free to reblog with them! this is something I want to learn more about.
I was talking yesterday about how I should probably change the skin colour of a character in a not-yet-written book, because that character is a large, aggressive dragon-shifter and I was worried about her being read with unintentional and offensive subtext.
I haven't gotten my hands on Writing the Other yet (it's still in the mail!) but from reading my way through these articles and watching the Princess Weekes video, I now understand that 'white-ifying' a character you're worried about is a lazy and cowardly solution. so, if I do ever finish the book Eres loses Everything, I'll keep her as is, do my best to be thoughtful, and hire a sensitivity reader to pick out any blind spots.
thank you to everyone who passed on resources, I really appreciate it!
things that always make me happy: serial commenters. there are three types
1) reading a longfic chapter by chapter, leaving an increasingly emotional comment on every chapter, descends into keysmashes near the end: outstanding
2) read one fic by accident, clicked the author name, now working steadily through the backlog and commenting on everything, I wake up to an AO3 inbox full of enthusiasm: precious beyond words
3) the longterm serial commenter whose comment begins with I don’t even know this fandom but because they have followed me from somewhere else: stunning. humbling. magical.
these are all *chef’s kiss* and I want to add one more:
4) left a comment a while ago, comes back and leaves another comment on the same fic, telling you that they’re coming back to reread the fic: angels. blessings. lifesavers.
I'm writing something rn because I'm taking a break from drawing my new model, WHY THE FUCK DID I IMMEDIATELY FORGET WHAT I WAS GONNA WRITE BEFORE I WAS GONNA WRITE IT????
Since I'm almost done with the outlines for all the chapters of the book I'm currently writing, I should probably say my intentions for it. My big plan for the novel is to experiment with the formatting to make it look more immersive. Like making text messages look like text messages, and social media posts look like social media posts. All I need is a good alternative to InDesign once the novel has been through like 3 drafts.
The next story I write (whichever of the many concepts I have written down) is gonna be me experimenting with the actual story, like seeing how unhinged I can make my dialogue before the publishers question me.
Please keep interacting with this post because when I come to tumblr to procrastinate, this shows up again in my notifications and guilts me into writing again
Guess whose been experiencing a sinus infection since Easter Sunday? That's right, ME! I haven't been able to make too much progress on my fics due to that, but I am here to bring some Previews for y'all to enjoy, straight from the files. The first part is just gonna be Heartslabyul, but y'all're getting some Jack as a treat for the previews.
Expanding a thought from a conversation this morning:
In general, I think "Is X out-of-character?" is not a terribly useful question for a writer. It shuts down possibility, and interesting directions you could take a character.
A better question, I believe, is "What would it take for Character to do X?" What extremity would she find herself in, where X starts to look like a good idea? What loyalties or fears leave him with X as his only option? THAT'S where a potentially interesting story lies.
In practice, I find that you can often justify much more from a character than you initially dreamed you could: some of my best stories come from "What might drive Character to do [thing he would never do]?" As long as you make it clear to the reader what the hell pushed your character to this point, you've got the seed of a compelling story on your hands.
this connects to some REALLY good writing advice i remember from @batshaped
Characters are contradictory, just like people are. What would it take for them to do the thing they've told themselves they'd never do, and how would they try to justify it?
I just realized that, with more of the RSA characters coming, I ALSO need to make them witness endometriosis eventually. Unfortunately, I need to do literally every other character before I think of making Minajael and Rielle stare at the reader in horror from learning how endometriosis fucks with the body. Did y'all know it can go up to the brain and sinus cavities? They sure wouldn't.
So, something I've noticed with a lot of fics in the TWST fandom is that there are headers made with game assets. I want to use headers for my own fics, but I want to try drawing the characters myself for the headers in question. It would be a good way to practice drawing different characters, and expand my drawing abilities. However, I also want to make packs of these headers with a pay-what-you-want thing for ko-fi (or vgen). The minimum for each pack will be 5 USD. As some dorms have a small amount of characters (two have only 3, another two have only 2), I will combine four dorms into two bundles. I plan on working on these on stream during my semester, at least when it comes to the backgrounds. When all the RSA characters are revealed, I will make header packs for them as well.
This is what the headers might look like based on a header I made for a Transformers OC (I plan on using patterned bgs based on dorm), the size is 1920 by 500 pixels:
IF YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A CERTAIN HEADER PACK FIRST, please comment on this post which dorm you want me to start with. If anyone suggests a certain dorm first, either give that comment a like or reply under them in agreement. This is to make sure I don't have to scroll too far to figure out who wants what dorm first. I might do certain characters first based on the current fics I have in my WIPs.
When Yuu've Been Chosen By a Mama Cat (Diasomnia x Reader)
It's the long-anticipated sequel in Malleus's entry in the cat distribution system fic! There are so many words, hope y'all enjoy it! Also, at the end there's a little drawing I made of the mama cat and the kittens for y'all to enjoy!
Word Count: 4.2K
Warnings: Cat birth, threats of neutering Grim, slight angst at the end, timeframe this happens is not specified
Before the Birth
When Malleus and Lilia first revealed that Megatron, the fluffy void cat with vivid green eyes, is pregnant, you were shocked, yelling out “MEGATRON’S PREGNANT!?”
Malleus looked at you with a confused look, “Did you not notice the addition of new presences?”
“Dude, I’m not a fae.” You reminded Malleus, “Also, Meg’s very fluffy, it would be hard to see if she’s pregnant under all that fluff.”
Lilia chuckled, “I think humans usually check these things with ultrasounds. Is that right, Prefect?”
You nodded, “Yeah, ultrasounds are used to check for fetuses or other things. The gel they put on can feel pretty cold, it’s a weird sensation.”
Neither fae asked you to clarify further, but Lilia instead mentioned something else.
“Now that you know she’s pregnant, though, it might be a good idea to make Megatron a place she can keep her babies, and store it somewhere that she would likely want to nest.” Lilia gestured, “Do you have any ideas, Prefect?”
You nodded, “From my experience, mama cats like to put their newborn kittens in closets, since it’s a small and dark place. I can ask Mr. Sam if he has any cardboard boxes he doesn’t need, and see if I can buy a blanket to put in it for Meg’s comfort.”
Malleus looked over at Grim, who was conked out from a tuna coma, “I wonder if Grim already knows that Megatron’s pregnant and deliberately chose not to tell you, Child of Man.”
“If I see any gray fur or pitchfork tails on those babies, his ass is getting neutered if nobody’s done that already.” you grumbled, taking out your phone to message Ace and Deuce, “I think I’m gonna ask Professor Trein tomorrow if he has any advice, or if he might be able to take Megatron to a vet.”
Grim slowly arose from his fish-induced slumber, scratching at his face with his hind leg. “Myah? What’s all this talk about Professor Trein?”
“Grim, did you know that Megatron’s pregnant and bother not to tell me?” You looked at the gray and white cat. Grim looked over at Megatron, to Lilia, to Malleus, and then back to you.
“What does pregnant mean?” This damn cat, you swear. Is this on purpose?
Lilia interjected, “Y/N means that Megatron is growing kittens inside her.” Grim’s eyes widened.
“I’ll have to share my tuna with not just her, but several other cats!? I’m insulted! The Great Grim refuses to share for anyone!” Grim cried, with Megatron responding with a chirp.
You picked up Grim by the scruff, “Grim. Meg is gonna need all the nutrients she can get. I don’t know how many kittens she’s growing, but I expect you to be on your best behavior. If you cause trouble for Megatron while she’s giving birth, you’re not getting any more premium tuna cans.”
Grim cried out, “Please! Pleaseeee! I’ll be a good Grim, I won’t cause Megatron trouble! Just unhand me, minion!”
You dropped Grim onto the ground, “Also, if any of those kittens look like you, I’m asking Crowley to get you neutered.” Grim proceeded to run away, not knowing what it meant but understanding the tone of your words. Lilia chuckled at Grim scurrying away, giving Megs some scritches on the chin.
Malleus looked at Megatron, and then at you, “Would you like our assistance in getting some things for her? I know that you’ve been saving your thaumarks to help patch up Ramshackle House, and Grim appears to be quite the handful already.”
Lilia interjected, “I’m willing to extend some of my services in my free time as well, Y/N.” he smiled, “You can’t fly, so you can’t reach the roof, no? Just help me with bringing in the materials, and I can get right to work.”
There’s got to be a catch. You’ve spent enough time at Night Raven College to know that most students won’t do something for free without something in return. Except for Kalim, but he’s always extended kindness with no expectation of reciprocation. “There’s something you want in return, isn’t it?” you asked the two fae, “I’ve been here long enough to know you’d like something in exchange.”
A mischievous glint sparkled in Lilia’s cool-red eyes, “Well, since you’re bringing it up… would having me name one of the kittens be sufficient payment?”
Seriously? That’s all he wanted? Lilia, for the record, was still giving love and affection to Megatron. Actually, that’s likely the most reasonable thing anyone has suggested to you, but there is some wiggle room. Malleus did not want to take the honor of naming Megatron away from you, as she chose you.
So you made a suggestion, “If there’s more than one kitten born, how about Malleus names one of them too?”
Malleus jolted where he sat, looking at you with wide eyes, “You would give me that honor?” You nodded, and Malleus let out a quiet chuckle, “Then I accept those terms. When would you like me to get you so we can pick up what you need?”
You thought for a bit, checking the calendar on your phone. Tomorrow would be a school day, but after that would be the weekend. But you need permission to leave campus too, and you don’t know how Crowley would react to the reason why. Eh, fuck it.
“How about tomorrow, an hour after classes are done? That should give me enough time to ask Professor Trein if he has any advice.” you offered.
Malleus pondered, but agreed, “That’s fine with me, there should be no meetings I need to attend. Would you like to meet in the Hall of Mirrors, or in the headmage’s office?”
“Headmage’s office. I need to tell him that Megatron’s pregnant, anyway. You can vouch for me.”
Malleus nodded, “And I shall. I’ll see you there tomorrow.” He and Lilia did stay for longer, but they both eventually left to return to Diasomnia. Megatron was disappointed that they left, but you reassured her that they would be back eventually.
The next day, you went to Professor Trein once classes for the day finished. His tuxedo cat, Lucius, crunchily meowed at your arrival sans Grim. Trein looked over at you, “Ah, Mx Y/N. I remember you telling me that you needed my advice in class earlier today. What concerns you?”
You walked up to the desk, reaching out a hand for Lucius to sniff, “Remember the cat at Ramshackle I told you about a few days ago? Megatron? According to Malleus and Lilia, she’s pregnant. I wanted to see if you have any experience with kittens.”
Professor Trein pondered, putting away a stack of papers, “Do you want me to help you find any products? I don’t have much experience with baby cats, but I’m sure there might be some commonalities with human babies, which I have more experience with.”
You shook your head, “Malleus offered to help me get some stuff for her in a bit. Lilia offered to help fix up some parts of Ramshackle House so it’s more comfortable for her, too. He wants to name one of the kittens in exchange, and I’m fine with that.”
Trein nodded, “I see. If you need a place to house her until then, I’m sure Lucius wouldn’t mind.”
“She seems quite comfortable in Ramshackle though, and it might be a bad idea to relocate her while she’s pregnant. Could add too much stress. That, and I don’t think she’s met you or Lucius yet. The ghosts have been keeping her company, and she seems to like attention, so she might like you.”
The professor sighed, “Of course, I should have thought of that.” He grabbed a piece of paper, writing something down and handing it to you, “Here, this is the shop in Foothill Town I buy all my things for Lucius. They should have all the things you need.”
You nodded, letting Lucius rub his face all over your hand, “Thank you, Professor. I’ll go to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop once Malleus and I have done our errand. I’ll update you when I can.”
Professor Trein smiled, “Good luck with the cats, Y/N.” You gave Lucius one last pet before walking to the Headmage’s office.
Malleus was already there, waiting outside for you to arrive. When you got up to the door, he knocked before the two of you entered. Crowley was looking at paperwork, scrambling to get up as he saw both of you.
“Ah! Mister Draconia, Y/N. What kind of occasion requires the presence of the two of you?” The headmage quickly composed himself.
Malleus answered for both of you, “The cat that Y/N found at Ramshackle house is pregnant. We wanted to seek your permission to leave campus to acquire some things for her today, if that is fine with you.”
Crowley paused, “Eh? The cat Y/N found is pregnant?”
Malleus continued, “Rest assured, Headmage, I plan on paying for everything the cat and her kittens are going to need. Lilia plans on fixing up more of Ramshackle house as well. All Y/N and I require is your permission to go to Foothill Town to get what we need.”
You held out the paper with the shop name and address Professor Trein gave you, “I talked to Professor Trein earlier, he wrote down the place he gets stuff for Lucius for us to go to.”
Crowley leaned forward to look at the address, grabbing a paper to write something down. Once he finished writing, he gave the paper to you, “I grant the two of you permission to leave campus to go to Foothill town. Now go! I shan’t keep the two of you from your errand any longer!”
You and Malleus left Crowley’s office, heading to the Hall of Mirrors to go to Foothill town. When the two of you arrived, Sebek and Lilia were there.
“Young Master!” Sebek’s voice boomed, “I heard that you are heading out of campus today! Do you need me to go with you, carry anything?”
Lilia chuckled, “Sebek heard about the errand, and has been stubborn about wanting to assist.”
You sighed, shaking your head. At least Grim is spending time with Ace and Deuce today.
Malleus waved his hand, “Unfortunately, the headmage only gave Y/N and I permission to leave for Foothill town. However, you can help bring everything back to Ramshackle House, that is why I’m on this errand.”
Sebek saluted, “I shall remain here until your return, then!”
But that might take a few hours, and you felt bad for anyone having to stand around, waiting. Actually…
“Lilia,” you spoke, “it might take Malleus and I a while to do all our shopping. Would Sebek be fine spending that time at Ramshackle with Megatron? I asked the ghosts to keep her company, but they can’t exactly pet her.”
Malleus nodded, “Yes, I think that would be a good way to spend your time instead of waiting for hours in here. Sebek, can you join Lilia in spending time with Megatron?”
Tears seemed to well up in Sebek’s eyes, “Of course! Anything for you, Young Master.”
You gave a key to Ramshackle to Lilia, “Here’s one of the keys. Megatron will go up and demand pets if she deems you worthy.”
Lilia smiled, and you and Malleus entered the mirror to go get the things for Megatron.
The errand took an hour to complete, acquiring everything you thought might be necessary. Wet food meant for pregnant cats, a few cans of kitten food, some new food and water bowls, a pack of puppy pads, some toys Megatron might like, a padded mat, a few small blankets, a litter box, litter, a scooper for the litter and some bags to hold the used litter, several other things that you might need for her, and a large pet carrier that you and Malleus are temporarily using as a basket for everything that can fit. Once Malleus paid for everything, the two of you returned to Ramshackle.
“This is quite the interesting experience,” Malleus smiled, holding the heavier items as you held onto the pet carrier full of various things, “I’ve never had to do something like that before. It was fascinating to think about various items a pet would need.”
You were just glad that Malleus was willing to pay for everything, to be honest. That, and the shop allowed you to grab a box for Megatron to use too for free. “Thank you for doing this with me, Malleus.” you said, walking up the steps to enter the dorm.
Lilia was there, opening the door before you could get your key, “Got everything you need?” the bat fae took one of the things you were delicately balancing on top of the carrier, floating away to place it somewhere else.
When you and Malleus entered, you noticed that the lounge was far cleaner than before. Some of the holes in the walls were fixed, and the windows had new panes. Sebek had his pen out, mending a broken floorboard.
“We weren’t able to fix a lot,” Lilia lamented, “but Sebek and I worked on fixing up this room and the kitchen. I’m sure the furniture will need replacing, it should be more comfortable now.”
“I… thanks.” You placed the pet carrier on the table, taking out some of the things, “You two didn’t have to do all of that for us.”
Sebek shouted, “Nonsense! The Great Malleus ordered me to be here, and I considered this an opportunity to improve the living space for the cat. She and her kittens will have nothing but the best!”
Malleus chuckled, “I appreciate you doing this for Meg, Sebek. The repairs are quite impressive, mayhaps I should have you come again to help with the rest of Ramshackle House.”
You waved your hands, “That’s fine! Lilia already agreed to help with repairs anyway, I don’t wanna bother anyone else.”
“But the more people we have, the quicker we can repair the whole of Ramshackle, no?” Lilia came up, Megatron following to rub her entire body against his legs.
Lilia, in fact, had a point. It would be quicker if more people helped repair Ramshackle House. Maybe then the heated water won’t run out in ten minutes.
Sebek took the items out of Malleus’s arms, placing everything where they were meant to go with his and your guidance.
“The weekend is coming up,” Malleus turned to you, “would you be alright if we come by tomorrow to continue the repairs? Where would you like us to focus next?”
You paused, thinking before you replied, “The kitchen, ideally. The bed in my room will need to be fully replaced, so I’d like to wait until the kitchen is done before I focus on the bedroom. That, or the closet in there, Megatron might place her kittens there when the time comes.”
Malleus nodded, “Alright. I’ll ask Lilia and Sebek to wrap up for today, and we will see you tomorrow.”
Malleus talked to the other two, and they left. You took that time to set up the box with some blankets, pet mat, and a puppy pad. You then placed the litter box in the corner, putting in the litter and hooking the scraper to the side. After everything was placed, you went to Heartslabyul to pick up Grim.
For the next few days, Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek would come to Ramshackle House to continue the repairs. In no time, the kitchen was fully repaired, and even some of your bedroom as well. Malleus even bought some new couches for the lounge, which you appreciated. It took a few days, but the most important parts of Ramshackle have been repaired. Now, you must wait for Megatron to give birth to her kittens.
It was early in the morning, and Megatron was sitting in her box, making a few pained meows. It woke you up, and the realization hit you like a 2010 Chevy Silverado going thrice the speed limit in a residential area. She’s giving birth. Right now. Rushing over to Megatron, you laid next to where she was as you quickly grabbed your phone to open up Magicam. Specifically to message Lilia, since Malleus has a lot of technology-related struggles.
“UHHHHH LILIA,” the message said, “MEG IS GIVING BIRTH RN AND THE SUN ISN’T EVEN OUT.”
A message came by a few minutes later, “Do you need me to go to Ramshackle to help? I’ve assisted in a few births in my time.”
“That might add more stress to her,” you stopped typing to give Megatron a reassuring pet after she yowled again, “I’ll do a video call so the others can check in.”
The moment the message was sent, Lilia started a video call. He was still in his pajamas, rubbing one of his eyes. “Ah, the wonders of life. Unfortunately, it can be quite painful from what I’ve witnessed. I’ll go wake up the others.” Lilia muted himself, appearing to float away with the phone following him.
You looked over at Megatron’s lower half, noticing the start of a head.
“Uhh, Lilia. There’s a head now.” You spoke into the phone, and you heard Malleus’s voice on the other end.
Malleus yawned, fangs very visible, “A… head?”
“Yeah? That’s usually what happens when mammals are born, the head goes out first before the rest of the body. Can you wake up Sebek and Silver? I’m doing a video call with Lilia since having all four of y’all surrounding Megs as she gives birth might be too overwhelming.” You explained. Megatron meowed in agreement.
“I see,” Malleus walked out from where the camera could see him, and Lilia turned the camera to face himself.
It didn’t take a lot of time for the other two to wake up, all huddling in front of Lilia’s phone to witness the miracle of kittens being born.
“YOU CAN DO IT, MEGATRON! PUSH!” Sebek yelled encouraging words, with Megatron responding with a meow.
Eventually, all of Diasomnia came to encourage Megatron to give birth to her kittens. It was two whole hours of encouraging yells and cheers, but eventually all four kittens were born. When you confirmed that Megatron was done, and she was feeding all of her babies, Diasomnia roared in cheers. You were now very tired, but wrote down how many kittens there were in a spare notepad before ending the call, exhausted from the stress.
After the Birth
After Megatron gave birth to four healthy kittens, you helped her move her kittens into the closet before going back to bed. Thank the Sevens that she gave birth on a weekend.
On that day, Malleus visited to look at the kittens with you, and to give Megatron some attention.
“Full black, black with low white spotting, orange tabby, and a calico.” You listed off the cats and their colorings, pointing to each of them, “Calicos are almost always female, because they require two X chromosomes to be calicos. Male calicos have XXY, so they end up being infertile. Once they’re old enough, we need to spay and neuter them and Meg.”
Malleus focused on your words, making a mental note, “They’re all so… small. I could fit them all in my hands.”
You smiled, “They really are. In a few weeks, they can open their eyes and walk around. I’ll need to section off part of the lounge for these four so they don’t get hurt.”
Malleus nodded, “Should we name them yet?”
You shook your head, “Let’s wait until their eyes are open and walk around, we can get a feel for their personalities. That, and I don’t think Megatron would approve of us touching her babies just yet.”
“Ah, I see.” Malleus got up, “If you need anything, message Lilia. I’ll help in any way I can.”
Eventually, Malleus left. You knew he would be back soon, but right now you just want to relax.
Professor Trein went to visit you to look at the kittens, and to help you weigh them. You dutifully wrote down their weights in grams, with Megatron trusting you enough to hold her kittens. He let you keep the scale, and then left to do professor things.
After the kittens opened their eyes and started moving around more, you invited Malleus, Lilia, Silver, and Sebek to meet the kittens. Megatron was more energetic now, but she was currently lounging on the sofa with Grim.
“They’re so small,” Silver commented, watching as the calico crawled into his lap, “the size of a little bird.”
Sebek was observing Silver slowly get surrounded by the kittens, who collectively decided that Silver was the best thing since sliced bread. Lilia chuckled, petting one of the kittens as he floated, “But now they need names, and Y/N gave Malleus and I permission to name one of them each. But there’s four of them, so who will name the other two?”
“Sebek and Silver can name them.” You offered, “I insist, all four of y’all helped so much with them, it’s the least I can do to pay y’all back.”
Silver paused, looking over at the calico in his lap. He cautiously scooped her up into his arms, holding her up, “I think I’ll name this one… Skips.” Skips meowed a sweet little meow in response, and Silver placed her back with her siblings.
Sebek scoffed, “That is a ridiculous name, Silver. If you’re going to name an animal, they need a name that demands respect.” he held up the tuxedo kitten to make his declaration, “I shall name this one Baur, after my grandfather for his eyes!”
“If Silver named the calico Skips and Sebek named the tuxedo Baur,” Lilia pointed to the orange kitten, “Then I shall name this one Rudy.”
You looked to Malleus, before picking up the black kitten. Lilia already confirmed that she was a girl, and the other two were boys. You brought the kitten over to him and asked one question, “What do you want to name her, Malleus?”
Malleus pondered, using a single finger to pet the kitten. She blinked her little eyes at him, and Malleus felt his heart melt at the sight.
“I shall name this one… Melly.” Malleus decided, and you placed Melly back into the pen with her siblings.
“So,” you counted with your fingers, “Skips, Baur, Rudy, and Melly. Good names for these four. Do y’all plan on coming by to check on them every once in a while?”
Silver stirred from a brief slumber through Skips using her claws on his hand, which Lilia chuckled at.
“But of course,” Lilia smirked, “The four of us named them, now we have a responsibility to take care of them.” Grabbing his phone, he took pictures of all of the kittens.
Megatron got off the couch to hop into the pen with her kittens, laying down to let them breastfeed in between Silver and Sebek. Sebek reached out a hand, and Megatron made biscuits against it.
Lilia floated away from the kitten pen, going back to the ground. The four members of Diasomnia spent a lot of time with the kittens, but eventually left to return to their dorm.
The four of them would go spend time with the kittens every day. At least one of them would go to Ramshackle each day, often doing homework in the lounge with you. Sebek did this the most, funnily enough. He’d sometimes stay the night as an improvised sleepover just to be with the kitties. When he didn’t go to your dorm, it was often due to a club meeting. You’ve heard from Riddle that Sebek started talking about both Baur and Melly almost as often as he talks about Malleus. It was endearing, to be honest.
Malleus would come by at least twice a week to drop off things for the kittens and Megatron. He’d add some tuna cans for Grim, who appreciated the tuna. Speaking of Grim, he got used to the new presences in his dorm. He tried to teach them how to breathe fire, but you had to remind Grim that house cats do not, in fact, breathe fire.
Professor Trein and Crowley would help out as well. Trein would take Megatron and her kittens to check-ups, and Lucius was a dutiful grandpa cat, supervising the kittens so Meg could use the litter box and get food. Trein offered to cover the cost of spaying and neutering all five of them, along with the trip to and from the vet. An offer you accepted right away.
If it was just you, the idea of having five cats along with Grim would be daunting. However, with the help of Diasomnia and Professor Trein, it was manageable. You knew one day that the five kitties will need to be adopted by someone else, but you knew some very willing folks that would be willing to take them in.
Name References
Baur: Sebek's grandfather.
Skips: Previous role of Aleks Le (Silver's VA), from Date Everything.
Rudy: Previous Role of Crispin Freeman (Lilia's EN VA), from Seven Knights 2, and a reference to the Rudy Time tumblr post.
Melly: Reference to Melly Vuong, an animator who I think is really cool and is also in the fandom (as our dear horn boy's English VA, once again, only has 2 roles).
I am really enjoying going through the tags on this post. I know a lot of you asked what constitutes "weird", or prefer the term "niche" but I did say "weirdest" for a reason, because that's for you to decide - of all the stuff you do, what do you think would classify as "weirdest"?
Synopsis: You never put much thought into your frizzy mess of hair, worried more about surviving school in a world that isn't your own. After winter break, the dorm leader of Pomefiore decides that he must take things into his own hands.
Word Count: 1,986
Sorry that this took over a month to write! I'm a full-time student in college combined with being a streamer, so it was hard to dedicate time to write this fic as I was balancing projects. I eventually finished it while streaming, but here it is!
You never had much knowledge about the intricacies of hair care. At your age, you were mostly worried about passing classes and trying to survive being in a completely different world without any support system. Figuring out what your hair texture was or what products worked best for you didn’t matter: as long as your hair wasn’t falling out and you had no allergic reactions to the shampoo and conditioner, you were fine. The frizz was annoying, yeah, but just a small inconvenience compared to overblots.
When the new year arrived, and all the students came back to Night Raven College to continue on their academics, but many people were interested in the Song & Dance Championship. Ace, Deuce, even Grim decide to participate. As Grim was under your care, you ended up dragged along into even more shenanigans. Eventually, encountering Vil.
Now, you’ve seen him before, but it was often rather brief encounters. This was the first time you two saw each other properly. And the tall man before you was looking at you with an expression you could only describe as combination of disgust and confusion.
“You there, Y/N was it? Get over here.” Vil ordered. Despite your hesitations, you walked up to him after transferring Grim to Deuce’s arms.
Once you approached, he leaned down to observe you closer, scrutinizing your… hair?
The man placed a finger in between parts of your hair, pulling it away to observe luster like he’s a geologist trying to identify a mineral, “How poorly have you been treating your own hair? It’s a frizzy mess, I can hear it begging for moisture.”
“I’ve been focused on trying to pass my classes and find out how to get back to my world,” you answered, “not exactly a great time to focus on making my hair look like those on hair product commercials. As long as it keeps my hair from getting greasy, it’s fine with me.”
“And that will not do, not at all!” Vil took his hand away, looking over to the blond man with the hat. “Rook, watch over these spudlings for me. I’m going to fix this one’s hair. I’m not having anyone look anything but their best for this event.”
Rook smiled, “Of course, Roi du Poison. I’ll leave Trickster in your hands.”
You couldn’t even say a word before Vil started dragging you away from the others, who were standing there clueless. Except for Deuce, who was holding Grim for dear life. Epel, the purple-haired guy in the Pomefiore dorm you met earlier, gave you a sympathetic thumbs up.
This is gonna be quite a ride, ain’t it?
You were pushed into a chair, Vil gathering various things from around the room before returning to where you were. Then the questions started.
“Do you know your hair type? Curly, coily?” Vil grabbed a detangler, spraying it onto your hair.
“I… don’t know? Maybe it’s curly?” you answered. Vil huffed at the response.
He grabbed the ends of your hair, spraying more of the detangler before brushing it out, “Then do you know your hair porosity?”
Hair… porosity? What does that even mean?
“How much your hair retains moisture, Prefect. There’s high, medium, and low. High porosity means your hair struggles to retain moisture.” Vil clarified.
Shrugging, you answered with a guess, “I think it’s high porosity? Sorry, I’ve never been taught this stuff.”
“Well, given the state of the hair,” Vil glared at your eyes, “it appears you have a lot to learn about yourself.”
“Hey, what does that even mean?” trying to pull away, Vil stopped by putting a hand on your shoulder.
Vil went to grab another bottle, “It means that you’re going to discover something about yourself today. Now stay still, I’m gonna test something.” He put some of what was in it on his hand, rubbed both hands together, and combed his hands through your hair. And then he stopped.
Why… is he laughing? You looked around to see if anything was going on, but he just kept doing a small chuckle, which was not something you expected Vil Schoenheit to do.
“How…” Vil wiped his hands with a towel he somehow procured when you weren’t looking at him, “How did your hair curl up so quickly? All I did was add a hair moisturizer meant for high porosity hair, and then you got these extremely tight curls. Hold on, I need to get you a mirror.”
When Vil came back, he turned the mirror to face you. Your hair now has a triangular silhouette, like a stocky traffic cone or a popcorn chip.
“I look like a traffic cone.” You commented.
Vil nodded, “That’s because your hair isn’t cut in a way for your hair texture. If you have naturally straight hair, a straight cut can look nice. If your hair has a tight curl, it’s best to cut the hair in layers or in curve.”
Tilting your head, you touched your hair. It hasn’t looked this nice in, well, forever. Maybe you can get used to this? “I dread having to remember every single aspect of maintaining this, though.” You spoke, “Unless I have written instructions on how to maintain this, I’ll likely forget a few steps or how to use a product.”
“I’m not all that experienced with curly hair either, since my hair is more straight,” Vil stated, “However, if it means that I can unlock part of your inner beauty, I will help you figure out a hair routine that works best for you.”
“Regardless,” Vil placed the hand mirror in a basket nearby, “I think we left the spudlings by themselves for a little too long. While I’d love to spend some time refining your hair, we don’t have the time to do so. We can discuss when we can do that later. Follow me.”
You got up from your seat to follow Vil to the room where Ace, Deuce, Grim, and the two other Pomefiore members are. Ace and Deuce appeared to jump a little when they saw your very curly, but still triangle-looking hair.
“Woah, uh… Y/N! What happened to your hair?” Deuce stumbled on his words, taking a step forward to look closer.
Ace cocked an eyebrow, “What in the world did Vil do to you?”
“He put some product in my hair that was meant to moisturize it,” you explained, “and laughed when my hair immediately curled up. Now I look like a squashed traffic cone.”
Vil spoke after you mentioned the traffic cone comment, “I would have done some trimming and styling if I could. Alas, that has to wait. Someone needs to get these potatoes into shape for the VDC, after all. Getting your hair to its full potential will have to wait for another day.”
That’s something you were perfectly okay with. Finding out that you had super curly hair was enough self-discovery for today, anyway. If Vil trimmed your hair, Grim might not even recognize you.
After the guys practiced, you and Grim returned to Ramshackle, with you looking at your hair in the mirror of the bathroom. Out of all the areas in the dorm, it was currently the cleanest because of the thaumarks you spent cleaning it from top to bottom.
Grim jumped on the countertop, “Minion! When are you gonna stop looking at your hair?”
Scoffing, you hoisted up Grim to hold him like a baby, “Grim, I’ve never seen my hair like this before, give me some damn time to process that. I’ll feed you in a few minutes.”
Grim continued to protest, but you continued to hold him until you set him down to feed him his tuna. Tuna that he consumed like a gluttonous beast. After you cleaned the bowl, you made your own sad little dinner before readying yourself for bed.
◊◊◊
A few days after, Vil brought you back to Pomefiore to continue his work on your hair. During that time, the moisture in your hair completely evaporated, so Vil had to remoisturize you. Once the curls returned, he used some hair scissors to begin trimming the hair. Freshing up the ends, rounding, cutting some layers, he worked with precision. It was like he was a professional hairdresser.
“Now,” Vil stated, “I would have brought you to someone who specializes in curly hair, but I was not able to find one on the Isle of Sages, at least one which fits my standards. I had to do plenty of research, and purchase the products for you. There’s a laminated instruction manual that I had made for you as well.”
The amount of effort Vil made, despite still being just a mere stranger, was flattering. He knows nothing about your life. Nothing about your home, your family, even your friends back home. And yet, he made an active effort to help you with something you did not know you could’ve used the help for. And that is something you appreciate heavily.
Once Vil was done, and he brought out a mirror so you could see what you now look like, it felt like you weren’t looking at yourself. It was… peculiar to see your hair in a non-frizzy state. To see your hair in a way it should have looked the whole time, but you didn’t know that before, did you?
You looked at the well-defined curls, no longer looking like a traffic cone with the rounded cut. The kind of definition you never imagined having.
Turning to Vil, you saw him smiling as well. It wasn’t a pretentious or smug one, but the smile of someone who is proud of the hard work they’ve done. “I… thank you for doing this for me, Vil.”
Vil shook his head, “It is my duty to help others achieve their inner beauty.” He took off the hairdressing gown from your body, neatly folding it and then placing a basket full of hair products next to you. “Now, if any of these don’t work, just tell me when we meet again. That, or tell Rook if you can’t find me. I want to make sure your hair looks as good as it can.”
“I appreciate that,” you grabbed the basket, placing it in your lap as Vil used magic to clean up all the hair on the floor, “thank you.”
Vil scoffed, “You’re welcome, Y/N. I won’t keep you here any longer, I’m sure those spudlings are greatly anticipating your new look.”
You got up and left, returning to Ramshackle where Ace, Deuce, and Grim were playing cards. The two Heartslabyul dorm members agreed to keep Grim occupied as Vil gave your hair a makeover, and they all turned to face you when they heard your approach.
“Woah, your hair looks pretty good!” Ace complimented, “This is what your hair is meant to look like? If I knew it was meant to look like that, I should have not made fun of it when I met you.”
Deuce was silent, looking at you with a sparkle in his teal eyes. A silent admiration, likely because he was not sure what to say.
Grim pointed a paw at the basket in your hands, “What are the stuff in there for, minion? Is there tuna?”
You shook your head, “Vil gave me some stuff for me to try out for my hair. He laminated instructions too, so I’m gonna place that in the bathroom.” And you went up the stairs, leaving the two dudes and Grim to continue playing the card game.
Placing the basket on the counter, you took out some of the things that Vil put in it. Shampoo, heavy conditioner, styling cream, hair foam, and a high-quality brush. And there was an A5 size instruction sheet, laminated to protect against water, explaining the products along with how and when to use them. You won’t let Vil’s generosity go to waste.
